Printers/Scanners

While I have previously looked at many scanners, I think this is my first A3 scanner. I have looked at several A3 units that were ‘All In One’. So while any A3 unit is somewhat larger than an A4 unit this seems not to be that much larger. So if you have need to scan items of A3 size rather than using A4 and joining the two images together this is for you.

This is the latest A4 multi-function device to land in my hall. It is not that light and I think it has the most strips of orange tape of any unit I have reviewed. This is a colour laser unit and by default it prints double sided, unlike most units I have reviewed previously it lines things up correctly on the second side.

This is the latest ink tank unit that can print, scan and copy. Early versions required very careful filling of ink tanks, now this is easy and there is no chance of spilling even a drop of ink. The unit itself is smaller and best of all no difficult questions to try an answer as you link it into your network.

While these days the vast majority of images are taken on peoples phones it’s not that many years ago that they were taken on cameras and only a little longer ago they were taken on film with a negative that gave a printed image. So there are still a great number of irreplaceable images that exist only as a printed photograph and each time they are taken from an album the chance of damage happening is increased so get an image now while you still can.

For a while now printer companies have encouraged you to use only their ink and buy it direct from them. This latest offering goes one step further by offering free cartridges sent through the post for the first nine months. However to qualify you must claim it on your initial setup. The unit does not come with a CD/DVD so you have to have an Internet Connection during the setup; the software comes from the Microsoft Store and not HP.

This is an inkjet printer that uses tanks rather than cartridges and the method of filling the cartridges from bottles has shown an improvement from early offerings so there is absolutely no chance of spilling ink as even when the cap of the bottle is unscrewed there is no danger of ink exiting even if the bottle is knocked over or turned upside down.

This is quite a chunky unit, however for what it packs inside its body it is certainly worth considering either for a home office of for a small company. It has two separate input trays underneath as well as a sit up input at the back at the top. However you want to use it is catered for as you have Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB.

Over the years I have reviewed a lot of scanners, all previous units required installation not so here, just open the box plug the USB lead into your PC or Notebook, plug the other end into the rear of the unit. Open the lid that forms part of input tray add a sheet of paper and press the button. You now have a .PDF copy of that sheet of paper on your Desktop.

A new series of Brother inkjet printers

Needing hard copies of your documents and images, this next product could help.

The G7050 is the latest unit from Canon to use the impossible to spill ink bottles that fit into ink tanks that are so easy to fill. The cost of printer ink is often said to be more expensive than Champagne so having it arrive in bottles means it costs less per page.

This looks very similar to the other recently reviewed Canon unit the G2560 on the 3rd March 2021 however while the dimensions may be similar the speed and connection methods do vary so worth a look at both reviews to see which might fit your needs best.

If like me you have negatives from films that the original photographs have long disappeared this device gives you a way to get new photographs. It is made from good quality board and you need to follow the clear – but simple – instructions to erect the scanner, next you download the PictoScanner App and then feed in your negatives focus and then you have a Colour or even Black & White image on your phone, now you can print them out.

This is the first of a recent series of inkjet ‘three in one’ units from Canon to arrive with me. Rather different from any other inkjet offerings that Canon have previously produced it has ink tanks rather than ink cartridges so the cost per page of the ink should be a lot less, as there is a saying around that printer ink is more expensive than Champagne.

This is a large and heavy multi-function unit suitable for an office environment as it has the ability to set up all sorts of restrictions with times and users so you do not end up printing magazines for whatever local group. This is a colour laser All In One unit that comes with starter cartridges pre-installed. It is certainly a two person move at 35kilos.

Stuck indoors during the pandemic, I took the opportunity to learn about a couple of new interesting products from Polaroid.

The Epson WF-110W portable colour inkjet printer is not an office printer but a business printer aimed at the business traveller

This is a quiet small four ink printer that can also scan and copy. However for those who print large documents or lots of pictures not for you as the ink cartridges are not large, they do an XL option but still in the space for cartridges this cannot be for the heavy user. However for those who want to print a few top quality images its fine.

The Epson WF7715DWF is a versatile A3+ multi-function inkjet that will meet the needs of the majority of small offices

The mono Epson EcoTank ET-M1170 has been designed to be the workhorse for the advanced student or small business which needs a low-cost means of producing large amount of letters, reports or other documents.

With its Zink technology, this next printer is small enough to fit in a pocket.

How often do you need to change the cartridges in your inkjet printer? Imagine doing it just once a year or even less frequency.

Adding to its extensive range of audio products, Edifier has released its M1390BT model.

This A4 colour desktop LED printer is a versatile workhorse that will meet the needs of the small office or, for example, the busy student who needs to print out essays or lab reports.

The Brother MFC-J6945DW is one of Brother’s Business Smart X-Series and is a versatile 4-in-one A3 colour inkjet machine targeted at the varied needs of today’s small offices.

The Expression Home XP-5100 is a compact 3-in-1 inkjet machine with WiFi connectivity that can print double-sided and has been designed to meet virtually every need of the home user.

The WF-2860DWF is a 4-in-1 print, copy, scan and fax inkjet machine in Epson’s Workforce Range that is targeted at the smaller business user.

The Brother HL-L2375DW is a fast small footprint mono laser printer that is networkable and does double-sided printing. It will meet the needs of those who print a fair amount but don’t need colour to enhance their documents.

The Brother MFC-J5330DW is a 4-in-1 multifunction device that can print up to A3 in size and is targeted at the small office.

This is a four in one unit as it prints, scans, copies and for those who still use it faxes. However for those wanting to use it via Wi-Fi you can print from any mobile device as well as direct from an SD Card so it’s very versatile.